Auctioneer Lanny Weiner, far right, encourages bidders to not give up on a gift card basket worth $500. His tactic worked, bringing in another $475 at Corgi’s Run for Suicide Prevention Saturday in Russells Point. Money raised at the annual event will go to the Courtney Hubbard Memorial Scholarship Fund, which benefits Indian Lake High School students, and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation. (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)
The smile Stacy Hubbard shares with everyone around her shows a depth of compassion. But so do the shimmer of tears as she talks about her daughter’s life and death.
In 2020, Hubbard found a way to turn her grief toward a good cause. That’s when she started the Corgi’s Run for Suicide Prevention Arts & Crafts Fair.
Now in its fourth year, the annual event took place Saturday, Sept. 16, at The Lighthouse at Indian Lake. The full day started with a motorcycle run from Dayton to Russells Point, followed by an auction, a basket raffle, a 50/50 drawing, handmade arts and crafts, and food and drink vendors.
And the community turned out, ready to support the cause. This year they brought in $7,450, the most they’ve raised to date. Out of that, $3,850 will go to the Courtney Hubbard Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is distributed to Indian Lake High School students. The other $3,600 will be donated to the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF).
“We started it to honor Courtney,” Hubbard said, “who passed away on Jan. 28, 2020.”
The corgis come into it because Courtney’s love for the canine breed led to her earning the nickname “Corgi.” She was known for her passion for art and music and, as a junior in high school, was already looking at going to college to study animation.
Corgi’s mental struggles began when she was only eight years old and witnessed her grandfather’s death. In trying to pull her up onto their pontoon boat while tubing at Indian Lake, Richard Houchin lost his balance and fell in. Unable to swim, he drowned.
According to Hubbard, who works as a respiratory therapist in Dayton and volunteers as a paramedic for Huntsville, Courtney struggled afterward with anxiety, PTSD and depression.
Hubbard has plenty of support in her endeavors with the run, including two all-female motorcycle clubs—Femme Fatales, of which Hubbard is a member, and Chrome Divas.
The OSPF has also been heavily involved in this event since the beginning. However, this was program director Austin Lucas’s first time to attend. “I told Stacey we cannot do our work without people like her and this community,” he said. “We’re really appreciate of all the efforts that go into planning and carrying out this event.”
An OSPF YouTube video titled “Corgi’s Run Full Film” offers more information about Courtney and the annual fundraiser held in her honor. In it, Hubbard said, “People who go through mental illness fight every single day. They are the strongest people on the planet. They just had a weak moment.”
To find out more, you can contact Hubbard at embrace.love.corgis.foundation or call 937-722-7958.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can reach a trained professional at the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation by calling or texting 988.
Stacy Hubbard, who started Corgi’s Run for Suicide Prevention in honor of her daughter, Courtney, three years ago, holds her dog, Selena, at Saturday’s annual event. Courtney loved the adorable breed so much she eventually took on the nickname “Corgi.” (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)